Correspondence from Edmisten and Wallace to Leonard; Motion to Consolidate and Request for Three-Judge Court
Public Court Documents
January 27, 1982

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Case Files, Milliken Working Files. Turtle Creek Square v. New York State Teachers' Retirement System Court Opinion, 1968. 0b7f51b8-54e9-ef11-a730-7c1e5247dfc0. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/5220af8d-1528-4871-bfef-4493b8b98f56/turtle-creek-square-v-new-york-state-teachers-retirement-system-court-opinion. Accessed April 08, 2025.
? ■ - • • ■ ■ • ’ ■- . • ...... ■■ ‘.»n, .... -.**&***•. :;, „ - • ■ ' ■■■■■',:&■ M>*v.a >* ■ • v- * -•• 5 • • -. ; -. : 'AV>,, nTnTLE CREEK SQUARE, LTD. v. NEW YORK ST. TEACH. RETIRE. SYS. 31 Cite as 404 F.2tl 31 <1!«8> c see a patient and conscientious judge wh0 accorded appellant every considera- tjon despite appellant’s continual disre- ■ trd for the truth and his attempts to !r'ock the administration of justice. Affirmed. »STÊ 21 TURTLE CREEK SQUARE, LTD., Appellant, v. NEW YORK STATE TEACHERS’ RE T IREM ENT SYSTEM, Appellee. No. 25936. United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit. Nov. 7, 1968. Rehearing Denied Dec. 9,1968. Action commenced in state court and removed to federal court. An appeal was taken by plaintiff from an order of the United States District Court for the Northern District o f Texas, Sarah Tilghman Hughes, J., quashing a writ of attachment. The Court of Appeals, Mehrtens, District Judge, held that where plaintiff had obtained personal jurisdiction over defendant and there was no question of loss of security should plaintiff prevail, order dissolving writ of attachment, which was the means by which jurisdiction had been obtained over defendant in action commenced in state court, was not a final appealable order. Appeal dismissed. L Courts ©=>405(2) Court of Appeals must stay within limits of its statutory jurisdiction and must consider and determine its juris diction even though not questioned by parties. 2. Appeal and Error ©=782 I f Court of Appeals determines, even though not questioned by parties, it is without jurisdiction, appeal must be dismissed. . 3. Courts ©=405(12.1) When a seemingly interlocutory order has been held appealable, it is on theory that irreparable injury will re sult from dismissal of appeal or that the particular narrow issue with which order was concerned is wholly separable from remainder o f case and order terminates separable issue. 28 U.S.C.A. §§ 1291, 1292. 4. Courts ©=405(12.10) Where plaintiff had obtained per sonal jurisdiction over defendant and there was no question o f loss of security should plaintiff prevail, order dissolving writ of attachment, which was the means by which jurisdiction had been obtained over defendant in action commenced in state court, was not a final appealable order and appeal therefrom was dis missed. Andrew T. Dalton, Jr., David M. Thornton, Thornton, Stamper & Dalton, Tulsa, Okl., for appellant. Henry W. Simon, Fort Worth, Tex., for appellee. Before RIVES and DYER, Circuit Judges, and MEHRTENS, District Judge. MEHRTENS, District Judge: Plaintiff-appellant, 21 Turtle Creek Square, Ltd. (Turtle Creek hereafter), appeals from an order quashing, vacat ing and dissolving a writ of attachment. The appeal is dismissed for lack of jur isdiction. Turtle Creek, a Texas limited partner ship, was formed for the purpose of con structing and operating a high-rise . . . . •.... k m m ..... m*m — .... - - > •• eu • - ... m # f • . ,-», -St-t* »-,'(4.; -’ T̂ ''--l< '•.!■> - 's-v-'#,‘'"‘“ 'i '<-- ’ * . ^ « f. \» • « 4 -V: V'-'- - 32 404 FED ER AL EEPOETEE, 2d SERIES apartment complex. A t a time when no permanent financing arrangements were in effect and when the interim lender, one Daniel Gevinson, became financially troubled, Turtle Creek actively sought a permanent lender. Turtle Creek and Teachers’ concluded that the former would own and operate the property while the latter would provide permanent financing. Thereupon, the parties here closed the permanent financing agree ment, a dispute over which is the nucleus o f this litigation. Turtle Creek says the agreement contemplated that all operat ing losses of the property incurred for two years, beginning August 1, 1964, would be repaid to Turtle Creek by Teachers’ in the form of an increase in mortgage amount. Teachers allegedly refused to honor the promise. Instead, it foreclosed Deeds of Trust held as se curity on the permanent financing and purchased the property at sale. Turtle Creek did not and has not conveyed title to Teachers’ . C5r ioco 3Q4 -pod 161. The purpose nf the limitation upon jurisdiction to re view is to combine in one review aii stages of the proceeding, prevent piece meal litigation and eliminate delay con sequent upon needless interlocutory ap peals Cohen v. Beneficial Indus. Loan Corp., (1949), 337 U.S. 541, 69 S.Ct. 1221, 93 L.Ed. 1528. Jurisdiction of this court is limited under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 to appeals from final judgments of the District Courts and under 28 U.S.C. § 1292, which has no apparent application to this case, to certain interlocutory orders. For this court, therefore, to have jurisdiction, the order appealed from must be a final decision. Turtle Creek commenced this action in the state court. Jurisdiction was ob tained by writ of attachment. The ac tion was removed to the United States District Court. Teachers’ motion to quash, vacate and dissolve the writ of attachment was granted by the District Court. Thereafter Turtle Creek had process issued and served under the Texas “ long arm statute.” Teachers motion to quash this service was denied and it thereafter filed an answer. [1, 2] A t the outset, we must inquire as to our own jurisdiction of the appeal. Mitchell v. Maurer, (1934), 293 U.S. 237, 55 S.Ct. 162, 79 L.Ed. 338. It is essential fo r this court to stay within the limits o f its statutory jurisdiction and to re frain from deciding cases and questions which it has no authority to decide. The court therefore is bound to consider and determine its jurisdiction even though not questioned by the parties. I f this court is without jurisdiction, the appeal must be dismissed. State Fire & Cas. To v Red. Top Supermarkets, Inc., 5 Traditionally, a final decision has been defined as one which terminates the ac tion and leaves nothing to be done but the ministerial functions necessary to execute the judgment. Weston v. City Council of Charleston, S. C., (1829), 2 Pet. 449, 27 U.S. 449, 7 L.Ed. 481; Gospel Army v. City of Los Angeles, (1947), 331 U.S. 543, 67 S.Ct. 1428, 91 LE d . 1662; Anastasiadis v. S.S. Little John, 5 Cir. 1964, 339 F.2d 538. In Atlantic Lumber Co. v. L. Bucki & Son Lumber Co., 5 Cir. 1899, 92 F. 864, ac tions brought in the state court were consolidated after their removal to the federal court. Plaintiff appealed from two orders, the first an order dissolving an attachment, and the second from final judgment after trial. This court, citing Leitensdorfer v. Webb, 20 How. 176, 185, 15 L.Ed. 891, and Hamner v. Scott, 8 Cir. 1894, 60 F. 343, held that an order dissolving an attachment was not such a final order from which an ap peal could be taken. See also Assets Collecting Co. v. Barnes-King Develop ment Co., 2 Cir. 1914, 209 F. 206, to the same effect. -4 4 [ 3, 4] Later decisions of the Supreme Court have expanded the scope of final judgments beyond the limited class en compassed by the traditional rule and libej Ltd.liu Loan Ce hclil fir dors wh of the p viewed, lo irrep , rs v. C (1950). L.Ed. 1 l,oan ( tors. Ir U.S. 38 Mortar (1963) Ed.2d 1 genera order the mt a seerr. held ai irrepai missal lar na was cc the re termir case 1 jurisd counsi that t curitj Henct predi is in< Th merit later defe. and mair pend cour H peal or i; coui thei have stressed that the definition of a «* **&•*» ̂ “ Hwwa*#®̂•*%>.?'', ##®%evv-!v«w.,•»<■ ■ -t •. .. - ,.j$ ' . • ■ * ~ . . 4 .-» ,■.'•_• • - • ••> ----- . . . . . . . • . ... *,4| . | “’*4̂ 2 . ^ o t t u a l i s s t o a s o t o ^ . V. rite n«40tT' . -. .. T'.m o-tnatic one. !(nnent i*.a k; . steel Corp.. V. grated .„ g5 g.ct. 308, 13 >. 379q UCohen' v. Beneficial Indus.: , t99; Cohen courthaS Corp-, sU,P nnr)eaiable ancillary or- I'inal afd W g substantial rights which de not promptly re- c parties ^ hlJ ’ appealing partyt,d, will subject the apP&Co pack_ f l S ; Cohen : ~ S & ^ S 2 S -i 386, 84 S.Ct. i p - k̂ v_ Langdeau, rcantile Na^ ’ - gg g e t . 520, 9 L. 905). 8̂ f V l l k c o L indicate the 12d 523. Sw/t an ch that an ppealabie, u ^ f rom dis- ^ S t S e p a r t icn- — ' ... ,11. Tii'ii THy.* ^ fi A t** rrow issue wî ^ se par able from iction overTeache ^ admitted el during oral argun flf ge_ lherb \ n0Turtle°nCreek prevail. f should Turtle rationale e the Swift and Cote* r icated upon irreparable loss ot rg applicable here. , He order row appeaied * ^ “ d^ its of this case can be r e without r and more aPProprl ieW at any time eating the right to re The i without irreparable H atitt in action between the part iding and undetermined m the i , , , +v„t the order ap- !laving concluded that x , decisi0n akd from is not such vest this r interlocutory order as appeal is art with jurisdiction, b igdic_ he re fore dismissed for lac OHIOOASOALKraSBKASOECO. 33 .2d 33 (1968) .. „ . „ .TrAi, insurance CO., * l b t K i plain til' f-ApPe!',ee’ v. leal dismissed. OHI° ct£ E £ Z - S S S S 0* No. 18391- jg United States Court of AM Sixth Circuit. ^0 Dec. 6, 19̂ , . j C n t proceedings to Declaratory|^ provided cover- d e te rm in ew h ^ d su r j un.ted gtates age for aedpen _ Western District DistriCtJ r Henry L Brooks, J-, found Bfach parents gav d enough to mobile to college: was b roa^ ^ imply their Perm brother to use auto- ize his fraternity ffl to return mobile when s it brother’s date son’s date and t ^ J ev wa3 liable for home and parents s colUsion which damages arising returned ing his date home. Affirmed. Automobiles ^ 1 9 - missi0n which General blanket P ^ automoblle parents gave when gh to imply to college was bro ^ ^ autborize bis their permission uge automobile fraternity brothe rgturn son’s date when son bec^ ^ her’s date home and and fraternity b damages pare„ts. W « « £ z * « » « - arising °ut o returned borne and — bs date home. John Sandidge.Bouis^1 , n & den Woodward Woodward ^ ^ Fulton, Louisville, Ky., on pellant. 4 ;.1 F.2d—3 •• • ' j *4 ,̂ ,V— i , sr ; '■\-k-7 C» kKrvpi'w’ f . . . --..... ’.i-.: . . 4 “ :. ■ ... ... ---i